'''Norfolk (old) County''' was one of the four original [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]] counties. It was created 10 May 1643 on land partially in present-day [[Essex County, Massachusetts]], and partially in present-day [[Rockingham County, New Hampshire|Rockingham]] and [[Strafford County, New Hampshire]].<ref>"Old Norfolk County Records," ''Essex Antiquarian'' 1, no. 2 (February 1897), 19. Part of NEHGS [http://www.americanancestors.org/search.aspx American Ancestors Search]. {{WorldCat|18623145|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}; {{FHL|53754|item|disp=FHL Film 599729 Item 2; Book 974.45 B2a}}. Includes a map of the six towns.</ref> Norfolk (old) County included these six towns:

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Old '''Norfolk County''', Massachusetts and New Hampshire was one of the four original counties of [[Massachusetts Bay Colony]]. It was created 10 May 1643 on land partially in present-day [[Essex County, Massachusetts]], and partially in present-day [[Rockingham County, New Hampshire|Rockingham]] and [[Strafford County, New Hampshire|Strafford counties, New Hampshire]].<ref>"Old Norfolk County Records," ''Essex Antiquarian'' 1, no. 2 (February 1897), 19. Part of NEHGS [http://www.americanancestors.org/search.aspx American Ancestors Search]. {{WorldCat|18623145|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}; {{FHL|53754|item|disp=FHL Film 599729 Item 2; Book 974.45 B2a}}. Includes a map of the six towns.</ref> The old Norfolk County included these six towns:

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:*'''[[Haverhill, Massachusetts|Haverhill]]''' now in [[Essex County, Massachusetts]] including the present-day towns of:

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*'''[[Haverhill, Massachusetts|Haverhill]]''' now in [[Essex County, Massachusetts]] including the present-day towns of:

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:::'''in [[Massachusetts]]:''' Haverhill, [[Methuen, Massachusetts|Methuen]], and the northern part of [[Lawrence, Massachusetts|Lawrence]]

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:::'''in [[New Hampshire]]:''' [[Atkinson, New Hampshire|Atkinson]], [[Hampstead, New Hampshire|Hampstead]], [[Plaistow, New Hampshire|Plaistow]], and part of [[Salem, New Hampshire|Salem]]

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:*'''[[Salisbury, Massachusetts|Salisbury]]''' now in [[Essex County, Massachusetts]] including the present-day towns of:

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:'''in [[Massachusetts]]:''' Haverhill and [[Lawrence, Massachusetts|Lawrence]] north of the Merrimack River, and [[Methuen, Massachusetts|Methuen]]

:'''in [[New Hampshire]]:''' [[Atkinson, New Hampshire|Atkinson]], a southern wedge of [[Hampstead, New Hampshire|Hampstead]], [[Plaistow, New Hampshire|Plaistow]], and the southeast corner of [[Salem, New Hampshire|Salem]]

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:::'''in [[New Hampshire]]:''' [[Newton, New Hampshire|Newton]], [[South Hampton, New Hampshire|South Hampton]], and part of [[Seabrook, New Hampshire|Seabrook]]

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:*'''[[Exeter, New Hampshire|Exeter]]''' now in [[Rockingham County, New Hampshire]] including the present-day towns of Exeter, [[Brentwood, New Hampshire|Brentwood]], [[Epping, New Hampshire|Epping]], [[Fremont, New Hampshire|Fremont]], [[Newmarket, New Hampshire|Newmarket]], and [[South Newmarket, New Hampshire|South Newmarket]]

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:*'''[[Hampton, New Hampshire|Hampton]]''' now in [[Rockingham County, New Hampshire]] including present-day towns of Hampton, [[Danville, New Hampshire|Danville]], [[Hampton Falls, New Hampshire|Hampton Falls]], [[Kensington, New Hampshire|Kensington]], [[Kingston, New Hampshire|Kingston]], [[East Kingston, New Hampshire|East Kingston]], [[North Hampton, New Hampshire|North Hampton]], and parts of [[Rye, New Hampshire|Rye]] and [[Seabrook, New Hampshire|Seabrook]]

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:*'''[[Portsmouth, New Hampshire|Portsmouth]]''' now in [[Rockingham County, New Hampshire]] including the present-day towns of Portsmouth (or Strawberry-bank), [[Greenland, New Hampshire|Greenland]], [[New Castle, New Hampshire|New Castle]], [[Newington, New Hampshire|Newington]], and part of [[Rye, New Hampshire|Rye]]

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:*'''[[Dover, New Hampshire|Dover]]''' now in [[Strafford County, New Hampshire]] including the present-day towns of Dover (or Cocheco), [[Durham, New Hampshire|Durham]], and [[Stratham, New Hampshire|Stratham]]

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'''Discontinued.''' Old Norfolk County was mostly discontinued 22 January 1679/1680 when the Province of [[New Hampshire]] was formed. The northern four towns were transferred to New Hampshire. The towns of Haverhill and Salisbury were added to [[Essex County, Massachusetts]] for court purposes. But officials permitted deeds to be added to the Norfolk (old) County records as late as 1714 from all parts of the old county.<ref>"Old Norfolk County Records," 20.</ref>

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*'''[[Salisbury, Massachusetts|Salisbury]]''' now in [[Essex County, Massachusetts]] including the present-day towns of:

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'''Records.''' Land deeds 1639-1678 of the old Norfolk County and her towns are housed at the Essex County Registry of Deeds in Salem, Massachusetts. These deeds were abstracted and published in:

*'''[[Exeter, New Hampshire|Exeter]]''' now in [[Rockingham County, New Hampshire]] including the present-day towns of Exeter, [[Brentwood, New Hampshire|Brentwood]], [[Epping, New Hampshire|Epping]], [[Fremont, New Hampshire|Fremont]], [[Newfields, New Hampshire|Newfields]], and [[Newmarket, New Hampshire|Newmarket]]

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*'''[[Hampton, New Hampshire|Hampton]]''' now in [[Rockingham County, New Hampshire]] including present-day towns of Hampton, [[Danville, New Hampshire|Danville]], [[Hampton Falls, New Hampshire|Hampton Falls]], [[Kensington, New Hampshire|Kensington]], northern [[Kingston, New Hampshire|Kingston]], [[East Kingston, New Hampshire|East Kingston]], [[North Hampton, New Hampshire|North Hampton]], southern [[Rye, New Hampshire|Rye]], and eastern [[Sandown, New Hampshire|Sandown]]

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*'''[[Portsmouth, New Hampshire|Portsmouth]]''' now in [[Rockingham County, New Hampshire]] including the present-day towns of Portsmouth (or Strawberry-bank), [[Greenland, New Hampshire|Greenland]], [[New Castle, New Hampshire|New Castle]], [[Newington, New Hampshire|Newington]], northern [[Rye, New Hampshire|Rye]], and [[Stratham, New Hampshire|Stratham]]

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*'''[[Dover, New Hampshire|Dover]]''' now in [[Strafford County, New Hampshire]] including the present-day towns of Dover (or Cocheco), [[Durham, New Hampshire|Durham]], [[Lee, New Hampshire|Lee]], [[Madbury, New Hampshire|Madbury]], [[Rollinsford, New Hampshire|Rollinsford]], and [[Somersworth, New Hampshire|Somersworth]]

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'''Discontinued.''' Old Norfolk County was for most purposes discontinued 22 January 1679/1680 when the Province of [[New Hampshire]] was formed. The northern four towns were transferred to New Hampshire. The towns of Haverhill and Salisbury were added to [[Essex County, Massachusetts]] for court purposes. But officials permitted deeds to be added to the old Norfolk County records as late as 1714 from all parts of the old county.<ref>"Old Norfolk County Records," 20.</ref>

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'''Records.''' Land deeds 1639-1714 of the old Norfolk County and her towns are housed at the Essex County Registry of Deeds in Salem, Massachusetts. These records were partially abstracted and published in:

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*"Old Norfolk County Records," ''Essex Antiquarian'' 1, no.&nbsp;2 (February 1897): 19-24 continuing forward in each volume from 1897-1909. At least partially covering Norfolk County deeds from 1639-1675, and some marriages. Each volume indexed. Part of NEHGS [http://www.americanancestors.org/search.aspx American Ancestors Search]. {{WorldCat|18623145|disp=At various libraries (WorldCat)}}; {{FHL|53754|item|disp=FHL Film 599729 Item 2+; Book 974.45 B2a}}.

Revision as of 16:22, 16 July 2012

Old Norfolk County in Massachusetts and New Hampshire red; modern Norfolk County yellow.

Norfolk County in Massachusetts and New Hampshire (created in 1643 part of Massachusetts Bay Colony) had six towns shown in red and black. This is overlaid on a map of present-day MA and NH town borders in white.

Discontinued. Old Norfolk County was for most purposes discontinued 22 January 1679/1680 when the Province of New Hampshire was formed. The northern four towns were transferred to New Hampshire. The towns of Haverhill and Salisbury were added to Essex County, Massachusetts for court purposes. But officials permitted deeds to be added to the old Norfolk County records as late as 1714 from all parts of the old county.[2]

Records. Land deeds 1639-1714 of the old Norfolk County and her towns are housed at the Essex County Registry of Deeds in Salem, Massachusetts. These records were partially abstracted and published in: